Second Chance
by j.curl
Summary: Shippou wishes on the Shikon for Kagome to be happy...so why is Inutaisho alive again? Rating upped on June 22. InutaishoxKagome.
1. Chapter 1

Something that popped into my head. Double zeros are break thingies

00

Nobody expected Shippou to end up with the Jewel. But there it was, in his tiny clawed hand after it had rolled so innocently to his feet, making small tinking sounds when it hit a rock or pebble. Sesshomaru had made the cut in Naraku shortly after it was completed and absorbed by the hanyou that gave the Jewel a leeway to just...escape.

Nobody had expected Sesshomaru to join their forces either. But that was a different story. Here and now there was the Shikon Jewel ripe for wishing in the hands of the least likely member of the Shard Hunters. While the rest had somewhat recovered from the shock and activity had resumed tenfold, the little kitsune stared at the palm of his hand.

Naraku's tentacles had begun to stretch toward him.

Miroku's air rip widened and he screamed.

Sango wept.

Inuyasha shouted unintelligible things to both Naraku and the fox.

Sesshomaru kept fighting, slashing.

And above all of that, the voice of his mother.

"Shippou! Make a wish!"

Abruptly he started and then thought of the only thing he would ever wish for. After the nights when everyone thought he was asleep. The innocence they all thought he posessed. The tears that she tried to hide from him.

"I wish for Kagome to be happy!"

The Jewel crumbled into dust and the fine powder took off into the wind along with Naraku's howl of incredulity. But after that, he crumbled into dust and disappeared into the wind too.

Miroku stopped shrieking as the Kazana stopped and closed up.

Sango wept still, but this time it was for joy as Kohaku rose from the dead.

Inuyasha seemed to grow with power and markings appeared on his face, but there was no madness.

Sesshomaru's arm grew back.

Kouga breathed again.

"What the hell was that you stupid kitsune!"

Inuyasha had grabbed him by the tail and shook him.

"I...I..."

"Why the hell would you wish for Kagome to be happy!"

Shippou started crying.

"B...Because she deserves it more than anyone!"

"Why then did all of our wishes become true?" Miroku addressed no one in particular.

"Because the only way Kagome would be happy, is if we were all happy," Sango said quietly. By this time, Kagome had strode over to Inuyasha and cradled Shippou in one arm. With the other, she slapped Inuyasha across the face.

It was neglected, the information about these last couple of months. Things had deteriorated between Inuyasha and Kagome to the point that even friendship between the two was questionable. It is a private matter, between the two of them, but now it only causes digression.

It was unexpected, the way the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye just popped out after the blow to his face. Even more so when it glowed and shifted shape into a humaniod figure. After the light had faded, the one left standing there was Inutaisho.

00

So, continue? Actually, I'll continue it even if you hate it. So ha!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Thanks for the encouragement guys, this story has gotten the best ratio of reviews to hits out of all of my stories!

**MidnightTimberWolf**: There's alot of controversy on the name of Inu and Sess's dad...I've heard it being Sugumi or Touga...and I realize Inutaisho means 'Lord of the Dogs'. But I happen to like that name better than any that I've read. Thank you for pointing it out though and giving me a chance to address it.

**JoWashington**: Thank you for your review. I have this weird tendency to write my stories with wording that seems odd fit together, but in the scheme of things it has a rather poetic quality that gives certain readers (i.e. most likely only me because I'm that nuts) cues to the obscure points in the anime/manga/fic/etc. Eh...Summarization: Its not certain words that are throwing you off, its the way I write.

This chapter isn't very informative because its mostly in Inutaisho's POV. Sorry, but the next one will better.

Double zeros --

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"Chichi-ue?" Sesshomaru said softly. It was more disconcerting to have him surprised than it was to have Inutaisho rise from the dead. The elder dog demon blinked, taking in the sights around him.

"Dad?" Inyuasha breathed. He recognized his father from the time when he and Sesshomaru joined forces to defeat Sou'unga. The sword that was now strapped to his side.

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha," he turned to each of his sons in turn.

"Did you think that wishing my Dad back to life would make me happy?" Inuyasha turned and started yelling at Kagome.

"I...I didn't..." she stuttered faintly. What the hell was going on?

Before the rant go could build up momentum, Sesshomaru tossed Tenseiga at his father's feet.

"Here is your sword back." Inuyasha instictively clutched Tetsusaiga to his person. Inutaisho knelt gracefully to retrieve the sword of life.

"It is still yours, my son," he murmured, fingering the scabbard, but keeping his eyes on his oldest.

"I have no need of it," Sesshomaru answered and grasped Tokijin's hilt. Inutaisho nodded once with a sigh and looked over to Inuyasha.

"Will you keep the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha nodded, a gesture he had obviously inherited from his father. His relief was apparent on his face.

"Will you be taking back the Western Lands, Chichi-ue?" Sesshomaru asked, it seemed he was angry and trying to to show it, but a parent always knows their child. Inutaisho looked at him hard for a moment before answering.

"It will be discussed later. Now, I am being rude and ignoring the rest of your companions," his tone suggested that he was not the only one being rude.

"I am Kagome, Inutaisho-sama," the girl, no, woman in the odd attire introduced herself. A curious look crossed his face, but he nodded and gave a slight bow. Sango and Miroku introduced themselves as well and Inutaisho let out an amused chuckle.

"Ne, Inuyasha. It seems you have a talent for making friends with those that should be enemies." He was referring to the fact that his younger son kept the company of a miko, a monk, and a demon exterminator. "But who is this?"

The fox started at the fact that all attention was directed at him. But he quickly recovered and puffed up his chest, taking a few steps away from Kagome's shadow.

"I'm Shippou. I defeated Naraku," he said innocently.

"Nani!" Inuyasha became apopleptic with rage. "Gah...kill..."

"Sit!" Kagome said and scooped the kitsune up in her arms once again. Inutaisho was surprised at both the amount of affection between the two and his younger son's sudden fall. "Technically, he's right Inuyasha. It was his wish."

"Feh! It would have been mine if he had listened and thrown it to me!" he argued. The ground had released him from it's embrace. "Your stupid brat only listens to you."

"Don't call him stupid...or a brat for that matter!"

"Ano..." Inutaisho interrupted and directed his query at Kagome. "He is your son?"

She nodded.

"But he is a kitsune." It was almost a question.

"I adopted him about four years ago when his parents were killed," she explained.

"But you are human..." he trailed off and Kagome voiced his thoughts for him.

"I think we all need to sit down and have a long talk."

00

Still short...seems my long posts are reserved for other stories. Sorry **supersticiousmonkey89**. I'll make the next one more than double in length.

P.S. I now feel horrible unadequate to write this story after receiving my reader's expectations. Oh well. I hope I don't disappoint you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Twin Kats** (and and answer to **supersticiousmonkey**): Def. an Inutaisho/Kagome. I mean, if you really want to go by straight Takahashi characterization, Sesshomaru is hot but too much of a cold jerk and Inuyasha can be sweet but insensitive (and he has this thing about keeping promises to dead girlfriends). Inutaisho is caring, knows the true meaning of obligation, is pretty f-ing hot, and chills with falling in love with a human. I mean come on...obvious choice anyone? The only thing working against 'em is the fact that he's dead...and that's not stopping Kikyo. I would tell you about my own trials with figuring out how to make this pairing work, but that would give away the story :)

And a special thank you to **Amaquieria** for her inspiringly truthful words of encouragement.

**Download for this chapter: Hear Me, by Kelly Clarkson...you'll know when to play it.**

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"...and then the Jewel popped out and rolled to Shippou and he wished for my happiness," Kagome finished after about a half an hour of story telling. The group was seated around a small fire to ward off autumn's chill. Sango and Miroku had helped Kagome with the story, adding bits ad pieces here and there, but Inuyasha was silent, staring at his father who chose to ignore the younger son for the time being. Inutaisho sat for a moment, musing.

"You must be a very selfless person to have given your life to accompany my son on his task." Kagome blushed.

"Well it really was my fault for breaking it in the first place, and besides, I'm only nineteen yet."

A frown furrowed the brow of the great dog demon, but it retreated quickly.

"I would like to hear more about the future you live in, Kagome." The way his voice caressed her name gave her butterflies. Or perhaps it was that smile.

"Um, sure, no problem," she answered. He stood abruptly and nodded to Inuyasha.

"I must speak with you and Sesshomaru."

The former hanyou made a face, at his brother's name or his father's orders one didn't know. And then they left.

00

Kagome now had time to really process what was going on. She left the fire and went toward the North Star, a ninety degree difference than the way the dog demons went. She needed more than a breath to contemplate her...their new companion.

It was as if the Jewel had melded the two brothers together. Sesshomaru's grace and carriage mixed with Inuyasha's ruggedness and playful nature. The frosted silk of Sesshomaru's hair and the choppy wildness of Inuyasha's bangs. Sesshomaru's cat-like eye shape, Inuyasha's brighter amber color.

She wondered what kind of person he was. He had saved Inuyasha's mother at the cost of his own life, but he had taken many, many others. She hoped the Jewel had included the kinder side of Inuyasha's heart because when all was said and done, Inuyasha did have a soft side.

Kagome let out a low chuckle. She should be hypothesizing why the Inutaisho was ressurected, not what personality traits he had. Perhaps Sesshomaru had secretly wished for his father to return. Or maybe Inuyasha did and was just trying to deny it.

It was so odd to watch the interaction between all three of them. Inutaisho had been deceased for over fifty years, and there was Sesshomaru who, after recovering from his initial shock, acted as though it were an everyday occurence to have a parent rise from the dead. Inuyasha too; though he seemed unsure how to proceed at first, that could be contributed to the fact that he never actually knew his father, and after a few moments it was like a normal conversation!

She had the sudden urge to go spy on the dog demons and eavesdrop, but she quickly brushed it away. If it was important, Inu...yasha would inform the whole group.

She frowned. Why was the first name that came to her mind in that sentence end with -taisho?

00

-An explanation of how things deteriorated between Kagome and Inuyasha-

For every love story gone right, there is a love story gone wrong. One could say the problem was that Kagome had made things go a little too fast for Inuyasha.

Naraku had backed off for a bit, and while that usually spelled trouble in the long run, the respite was welcomed. Kagome had taken the opportunity to visit her time, as she had not been there for a few months. She had already graduated, with decent marks that would easily get her into a lower level university, which was a surprise even to her It was decided that she would finish her quest in the future before applying so she wouldn't end up neglecting her studies.

They were a short distance from the well and Kagome had since learned to control her powers, so she walked there by herself. Inuyasha had, surprisingly, been agreeably with her that day so there was no fight.

She was in sight of the well when her miko sixth sense told her to put up a shield. As soon as she did an arrow bounced off of it. Kagome looked in the direction that it was shot from and saw the clay miko. Wildly she fumbled for her bow, intending to defend herself until she could reach the rickety portal that took her home.

Kikyo took all of this in, and an unnatural smile appeared on her face. She aimed her arrow once again for Kagome, then suddenly veered towards the well. Kagome's heart leapt in her throat and before she could cry out, Kikyo had released and there was a shower of wood and dirt as the well erupted into a geyser of useless parts.

In the future, Kagome's mother dropped the groceries she was carrying as she heard the well crumble from inside its protective house. At the same time, five hundred years apart, her and her daughter's eyes both misted with tears.

_Kagome..._

_Mother..._

One broke into sobs, the other broke into screams.

The shield Kagome had in place grew rapidly like an atomic bomb explosion, and before Kikyo was engulfed, the enraged miko asked her a question:

"Why?"

The dead woman looked at her, taking in the range of feelings across the younger girl's face, and answered:

"There are more things in this world that jealousy and hate."

She said it with such sorrow that Kagome was nearly startled into submission, but her powers were like a tidal wave and now even she could not stop them. Kikyo was obliterated in a blinding flash of light and the welcoming relief was palpable. Unfortunately, one person couldn't feel that.

"Kikyo!"

Inuyasha's scream rang out in the clearing.

The anguish in his voice was apparent, and like a cooling rain, realization flooded over Kagome. Along with it came acceptance. Inuyasha had not been ready to let go of the miko he had once loved, and Kagome saw this. She knew that a relationship between the two was never in the stars in the first place. She had given him friendship and acceptance, the same as her former self, but it was Inuyasha that had given Kikyo love. It was Kikyo that had accepted that love. And it was Kagome that didn't have the right to bully him in to giving up on her.

Inuyasha had been ready to strike Kagome, he was so enraged. But something caught his eye. Usually not that observant, it was odd that he recognized the wreckage of the Boneater's Well. It occured to him that Kagome had not heartlessly killed his first love, but did something reactionary that could not be stopped.

He knew her family was important to her.

She somethimes talked with Miroku in whispers about her fear of the well breaking down.

He turned to face the girl that freed him from his bark-and-vine prison.

The blankness in her face scared him.

But to forgive her?

The sadness and anger that flamed in his eyes gave Kagome a new hope. With the death of Kikyo her hope of love had died as well, but with the abscence of hate in the hanyou's eyes, the hope of friendship had blossomed like a cherry tree in the spring. It would be hard to reconcile, she knew, but she had to try.

00

Kagome finished reminiscing and felt that now would be a good time to celebrate the fact that Naraku had been defeated. She went to her yellow backpack that was so like a magician's hat and pulled out a small boombox and a few cds. It made her smile when she tought of the time she had placed two of them secretly in the bushes with specially made disks...

(Flashback)

_"I think they're something in there," Kagome said while walking over to the clump of bushes. She pretended to look around, then made a coughing noise to cover up the click of a button. "Oh I guess not..."_

_She had started to walk back towards the rest of the group when bopping noises sounded at full volume. All looked up, curious, and then jumped as AJ's voice let out a loud 'YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!' _

_Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha jumped up with their weapons drawn as it continued. Kirara turned into her true form and growled. The kitsune was nowhere to be seen_

_'I may run and hide when you're screamin my name, ALRIGHT! But let me tell you now there are prices to fame, ALRIGHT!'_

_Sango threw Hiraikotsu, but there was no effect. Miroku was about to use his wind tunnel, but the exterminator reminded him of Naraku's insects that could be lurking._

_'Aaalll of our tiiiime spent in flaaashes of li-ee-yi-ee-yi-ee-ight.' Sango and Miroku's eyes were narrowed in concentration._

_'ALL you people, can't you see, can't you see?' Inuyasha's ears were stuck to his skull when the yell came._

_"Kaze no Kizu!"_

_And then it was no more. Fortunately, Kagome had a backup. From her place next to the rest of the group when some violins sounded on the other side of the camp._

_'BYE BYE BYE'_

_Shippou ran out of the bushes screaming for help._

_'I'm doin this tonite. You're probably gonna start a fight.'_

_Inuyasha began yelling over the rest._

_"You're the one starting the fight!"_

_'Hey baby, come on'_

_"Baby!" he roared_

_'I loved you endlessly, and you weren't there for me...'_

_"Could it be Kikyo?" wondered Miroku aloud._

_"It's a guy's voice, baka!" Inuyasha snarled. He raised the Tetsusaiga over his head, but Kagome yelled out to him. Her body was moving jerkily..._

_'I wanna see you out that door...'_

_And then Shippou began doing the same thing, jumping up and down like Kagome, their arms out and waving._

_"Kagome? What's wrong with you? Shippou?" Sango sounded panicked. They continued the strange movements in unison._

_"Don't touch them!" Miroku yelled "It could be a trap! Or contagious!"_

_"I know how to fix this," Inuyasha turned back to where the noise was coming from, but it ended as abruptly as it started. Kagome started choking and the warriors turned back to face her, concerned. She looked up, with tears streaming down her face and gasped:_

_"April Fools!"_

_They looked at her, confused, then Shippou piped up with a huge smile on his face._

_"Mama taught me the dance!"_

(End Flashback)

00

It had taken a while to explain April Fool's Day, music videos, stereos, and CDs, but Kagome didn't mind. That was probably the funniest thing she had ever witnessed in her life. On the downside, Miroku kept groping her, then saying 'April Fool's Day' to keep him immune from the blows that usually followed. Sango hadn't agreed and kept hitting him, saying she didn't celebrate that holiday. Sadly, Kagome was left to fend for her own, as she had opened that can of worms. She spent much of the day avoiding the avid and amorous monk.

But now she laid on the incline of a hill, watched the stars and listen to music from her time, a precious commodity as it would only last as long as her supply of batteries did. Such was the case, she listened to only two songs before she put on the one that had become kind of an anthem for her state of mind as of now. She mouthed the words instead of singing them as habit told her to do.

_Hear Me_

_Hear Me_

_You gotta be out there..._

Inutaisho froze. Did she sense him? What was that music?

_You gotta be somewhere_

_Wherever you are_

_I'm waiting..._

Her right hand reached toward the night sky and twirled.

_'Cause there are these nights when_

And then it went back down to hug her body

_I sing myself to sleep  
And I'm hopin' my dreams  
Bring you close to me  
Are you listening?_

Suddenly she thrust her body up and Inutaisho heard two voices singing as the miko twisted and writhed theatrically, in an odd dance.

Hear me  
I'm cryin' out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside the crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please  
Hear me  
Hear me

He walked a step closer.

Hear me  
Can you hear me?  
Hear me

She slowed now, looking forlorn, and he held himself back.

I used to be scared of  
Letting someone in  
But it gets so lonely  
Being on my own  
No one to talk to  
And no one to hold me  
I'm not always strong  
Oh, I need you here  
Are you listening?

Again the theatrics, and he noticed her eyes were closed. Was this a ritual? Was she a performer of some sort? And where the hell was that music coming from? It was like an orchestra..

Hear me  
I'm cryin' out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside the crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please  
Hear me

More steps, whirling, twirling, searching, pleading. Perhaps she was a performer. 

I'm restless and wild  
I fall, but I try  
I need someone to understand  
Can you hear me?  
I'm lost in my thoughts  
And baby I've fought  
For all that I've got  
Can you hear me?

She must have written this song. From what he saw and was told, Inutaisho believed the song was to express herself.

Hear me  
I'm cryin' out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside the crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please

Did she really feel so lonely?

_Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me_

Well, one couldn't blame her. It was almost parallel, their situations. Stuck in a time not their own. Although his wasn't nearly so drastic.

_Can you hear me?  
Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me  
Can you hear me?  
Oh, oh, oh, oh..._

She sunk back down to the ground.

_Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me_

And then she pressed a button on the box next to her and sighed. He waited for a moment before approaching her.

"Kagome?"

She looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

00

Yay! Over 2000 words!

The song I borrowed is 'Hear Me' by Kelly Clarkson. Thanks guys and sorry, cause I guess this is kinda a cliffhanger.

**Attention! I need a beta for another story I'm working on. It's Kag/Sess and you must be reliable! The reason 'Be Careful What You Wish For' is on hiatus is because my beta dropped off the face of the earth with the continuation of the story. So if you're up to the task, email me please!**


	4. Chapter 4

To my anonymous flamer (heehee) '**i hate you**': Its all in the author's notes! I have irrefutable logic and you know it ;) Plus, if you think this is bad, try reading a yaoi with the pairing as Sess/Inu...almost scarred me for life!

Still short, but look at all the growth!

And totally sorry about the wait...

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"My apologies; I didn't mean to startle you," he stated.

"Its ok...I just...well, its ok." He threw her off balance when it was just the two of them.

"I waited until you finished practicing." What was he talking about? Kagome felt as though she was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong conversation...everything.

"What?" her voice was hoarse and a bit choaked.

"Your practice. Your performance," he elaborated with a wave of his hand and Kagome felt a wildly uncharacteristic urge to grab it and kiss his palm.

Inutaisho noticed the glassy look in her eyes that contrasted with her furrowed brow.

"Your dance," and he said it with such finality that Kagome had to look up at him once more.

"Oh...OH!" she shrieked with realization and Inutaisho winced slightly.

"Sorry, Sorry," she murmured. "I wasn't practicing, I was just...umm...feeling the music?"

He quirked a brow at her and she was embarassed.

"It was a compelling thing to watch."

She beamed at him.

"How did you create all of those sounds?"

And she was glad that she had a chance to sound knowledgable, instead of like a deranged woman.

"It's from my time," she said, gesturing to the CD player next to her, then held up a disk. "These are called compact disks. They have little codes on them for the music and that box deciphers the codes and plays the music."

"Is it hard to code your music on the disks?" Kagome smiled at the careful way he worded his question, trying to get everything correct.

"It's easy to put songs on the disks, yes, but they aren't mine." Inutaisho looked at her questioningly.

"I didn't write the songs and I'm not the one singing on the disks," she explained. "I just liked it, so I brought it with me."

"From the future," the inuyoukai said shrewdly and she nodded.

"You speak so bluntly...it it surprising." Kagome's face took on a mortified expression, but he held up a hand to stop the oncoming apology.

"Will you speak so candidly to me now?"

"Hai," she said softly.

"There is a saying in the western world, 'Curiosity killed the cat'," Kagome nodded to let him know she had heard it before. "I have always thought that strange."

Silence before she realized he wanted her to say something.

"Why is that," a pause. "Inutaisho?"

Quiet once again as the intimacy of his name on her lips permeated the clearing.

"Everyone knows that dogs are more curious than nekos."

"You want to hear about the future," Kagome realized. He gave her a small smile reminicent of Sesshomaru's smirk.

"There is something you said by the fire; that you were only nineteen," he paused. "Were you not afraid of becoming a spinster?"

She looked at him blankly, shuffling through her knowledge of the Sengoku Jidai and what the hell he could possibly mean.

And then it hit her.

Kagome's sudden outburst of hysterical laughter both startled and amused him.

"Gomen, in my time it is not unexpected for women to wait for marriage until they are older and have set careers...jobs. Women are equal to men for the most part, making their own decisions, supporting themselves, sometimes even choosing to stay single when they have children."

Inutaisho nodded, taking all of this in calmly, but Kagome could sense the amazement almost radiating from him. She giggled and he gave her a small smile in return. They spent the rest of the night trading stories, the female of the two not even realizing how much time was passing.

He told her of the fight to save Izayoi and she explained electricity to him.

She told him about television and he related a tale of a very young Sesshomaru acting out a fairytale for his father and mother.

He told her how he acquired the three swords and she told him about power in the 20th century and how it wasn't based on strength.

She told him about her family back in the future and he spun stories of his kin that were over thirty thousand years old.

He told her that he had done things that were less than honorable and she took his hand and told him sometimes it couldn't be helped.

Kagome asked him why he came back and he didn't answer.

Kagome wondered why he looked at her like he was waiting.

Kagome wondered why he looked at her as if he knew something she didn't .

Kagome wondered why the sun was rising.

Inuyasha came over the crest of the hill looking irritable and annoyed to see his father and Kagome laying next to each other and conversing as though they had known each other for longer than a few days.

"Oy! Wench! Time for Ramen!" he called, knowing that she would become angry. But she smiled at him and got up.

"Sorry, Inuyasha. I lost track of time," Then she turned to the elder inuyoukai. "Ramen is food from my time. You should try some."

Inuyasha's expression was mutinous as he stomped loudly back to the campsite, not waiting for Kagome, and trying not-so-subtly to let her know he was pissed. But her eyes were on his father, not realizing he was vying for her attention.

Inutaisho picked himself up off of the ground and followed her, discussing the merits of chicken versus beef, and seeming for all the world like he belonged.

00

(Once upon a time...)

_Benzaiten listened to the miko that had singlehandedly stopped the world from being destroyed in an Apocalypse. She listened as she was told of a little girl who had been so selfless that a wish for her happiness had granted her friend's wishes as well. She listened to the trials the girl had gone through and the trials that she would still go through. She listened and recognized the girl that had somehow been chosen by a power higher than her own. She listened and learned that she could help. She listened as the miko made her case for the girl. She listened and agreed._

00

Hmm a twist?

Benzaiten (as far as I could tell) is the Japanese goddess of love and one of the seven gods of happiness...er something like that. Suffice to say she's in charge of love and somewhat involved in the distribution of happiness.


	5. Chapter 5

My anonymous flamer is back with a vengeance! I thought that the first time I got a flame I would be crushed, but honestly it made me laugh. I wish they could be signed in, because I have no way of writing them back. So, against my better judgement, I will answer here.

To: I hate you

I'm sorry you feel that way about this fic. But (like all writers who get flamed for this particular reason) I have to point out, if you hate this pairing why are you reading it? That's the thing that I don't understand the most. If you don't like it there are plenty of other fanfics out there to read and honestly, I write for my own enjoyment so what input you have given me is unnecessary. Reviews that offer encouragement and constructive criticism are acceptable, random insults are not.

To my other reviewers: Thanks for having an open mind and supporting this story! And so sorry about the wait.

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Chicken was the more popular choice for breakfast ramen. Inuyasha was grumbling because he, of course, wanted beef. Sesshomaru had apparently left sometime during the night...more than likely after the talk with his father and brother. But those things weren't what concerned her at the present.

It seemed to Kagome that, for some reason or other, everything their recently acquired companion did or said or thought had an odd monopoly on her interest. It was a constant wonderment, a constant facination that scared her with its intensity even as it confused her with its mere presence. Speaking of confusion, it should have bothered her, but instead she welcomed the feeling because he happened to be the one that caused it. She had met this man, this youkai, yesterday and already she felt as though their one conversation held more meaning in it than any other conversation she had participated in during her entire lifetime.

"Wench! Give me more ramen!"

She let out a sigh as her inner monologue was interrupted. After she had killed Kikyo, Kagome hadn't been able to bring herself to use the cursed rosary on Inuyasha when he was irritable with her. She simply filled his bowl and returned it to him. Inutaisho spoke then, and his eyes were an angry red tint.

"No son of the West will speak to a woman that way."

Inuyasha turned to him, his countenance a scoff at the words addressed to him.

"Good thing I'm not a son of the West."

Utensils clattered in their respective bowls as the rest of the group's jaws dropped at the foolish statement. Throughout their travels, any mention of Inuyasha's father was met by him with scorn, but that was usually tempered with sadness. This though, was a challenge. Kagome was also in shock, but more than that she was angry at his careless words. She rose from her seat, storming over to the stunned Inuyasha, and yanked the Tetsusaiga out of the former hanyou's grasp. Just holding it she could feel the sword's spirit's discomfort at serving one who was full youkai, but couldn't disobey because it had been mastered by the Inuyasha was a hanyou...and there was something else. An invasion? It was just a flash, but it struck her soul.

"If you aren't a son of the West, you don't need this anymore." Everyone but Inutaisho gaped in surprise; Kagome hadn't spoken like that to Inuyasha since before Kikyo died. She usually just went along with whatever he wanted.

She couldn't help herself. Inuyasha could insult her all he liked; she deserved it, really. But to insult his father, the youkai that had his teeth removed to create a sword strong enough to protect his youngest son even though it put him at a disadvantage fighting Ryuukotsusei, which in turn got him a fatal wound for his troubles. The one who died the most horrible way imaginable, being burned alive, to save an infant Inuyasha and his mother not just once but twice...she could go on and on! What an ungrateful brat!

And so she told him that, her thoughts nearly word for word. It left her breathless, and then...

"Kagome." The deep voice of Inutaisho broke in through the interlude and she whirled around to face him.

"I know it isn't my place to say all of those things and it really should be you two discussing this but there really isn't any practice of psychology in this era and even if there was there would be no way Inuyasha would listen to the suggestion forget actually going and talking about the deep-rooted issues that growing up without a father figure has caused, not to mention the ridicule he endured for being a hanyou, but that's no excuse to blame you and yelling at him seems to be the only way to get through to him and you sacrificed _so much_..."

"Kagome!" This time it was Inuyasha that stopped her tirade. For godssakes, she went from a towering inferno of rage to a crazy wench offering explanations in return for forgiveness just like that. He sneaked a glance at the others and saw that they were still stupefied. It figured.

Inutaisho was stunned as well, but for other reasons. He only knew half of what she was talking about (_sigh-call-owe-gee?_) and the other half...well, he felt proud that she was defending him, but really, he was a dominant adult male; he could handle his unruly pups. Yet instead of telling her that, he chose a different route, a route that would stop her, but not make her feel bad for her actions.

"This Inutaisho is appreciative of your concern for his feelings, but I will deal with this on my own."

He could almost see her physically swaying between the decision concede to his wishes or to argue. Finally, after a few tense moments and with a frown adorning her lips, she backed down, but he suspected it was more due to the fact that she realized it was not her place to overrule him, rather than reflex. After the things he heard about the future, she would more likely have challenged him too had they been more well acquainted. She was strange, so unlike the women he was familiar with. So...passionate and disobedient, willful like a demon, yet fragile and as breakable as Izayoi.

At the thought of his former lover, Inutaisho set his hand on the hilt of Sou'unga. He could feel the sword screaming, the spirit struggling and striving underneath his palm to move away from Kagome, something it had been doing from the time he appeared on the living plane and breathed in air once more. It didn't like the purity that radiated from her in waves. More than that, it was afraid of her.

These musings and realizations came to a halt as his youngest son perceived his innocent gesture to be a challenge. Inuyasha snatched the Tetsusaiga from Kagome, lightning-quick, and unsheathed it with a growl. Inutaisho was both amused and saddened.

"You think to turn my own fang against me? It will not obey."

Inuyasha grinned at his statement and pointed a finger to one of his canines. It was only half grown back.

"I think the fang will have no other choice, Fath...Inutaisho."

The others sat in silent horror until an angry voice broke the standoff.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Sango rose from her seat, no longer mesmerized by the scene in front of her. "Your father comes back from the dead and you try to kill him? You renounce him?"

Inuyasha began to speak, to explain his position, but she stopped him, her voice semi-hysterical.

"Don't even start that 'he was never there for me' bit. I held my tongue those handful of times when you would rage about that, but no more. Did you ever wonder why I've never mentioned my mother? Never curious as to whether she passed away from disease or by accident? The reason why her ending was never included when I had only slight discomfort telling the story of how the rest of my squad died? Do you think it was too painful for me to recount her death above all others? If so, you were right on that last bit, but wrong on the first. You want to know now what happened to her? Well here it is: she died protecting me and my brother. We were so young I can't even remember what she looked like. All the memories that I have of when she was alive is the roar of a snake demon, torn flesh, a woman's scream, and being drenched in blood that was not my own."

She had tears in her eyes and that sign of weakness was enough to convince anyone who knew her.

"Just like that youkai there did for you, she gave her life for her children's. Was I angry that she left? Yes, of course. But if she were to ever, _ever_ somehow come back to life, my first reaction damn straight wouldn't be to teach her a lesson for leaving by denying my birth and threatening to kill her."

The taijiya thumped back down on the fallen log, sobbing into Miroku's shoulder who knew to keep his hands above the waistline for once. Inuyasha's ears were flat on his head and he was the picture of someone duly reprimanded. And then Kagome felt sorry for him, looking so shamed and forlorn. She went to him, embracing the boy she set free from a curse and grew up to love.

He was still and aloof for a only a second before crushing her to him and burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"It...it was so hard."

Kagome didn't know who that was directed to: her, Sango, or Inutaisho. But Inuyasha saved her the trouble of guessing or asking.

"You didn't even ask about me, my life. You talked to Sesshomaru about the running of the Western Lands and the only thing you said to me was that I was welcome to come home."

Kagome was shocked. Inutaisho's actions had pretty much told his youngest son that he was just a background figure. Inuyasha chose that moment to break away from her stiffened body and run from the situation. Miroku helped Sango up and steered her in the direction of the nearest water source to clean up. He had seen the look in Kagome's eyes as she turned. So, apparently, had Shippou and he left with the monk and taijiya as well.

Inutaisho was the last to see the hardness in Kagome's eyes. He nearly sighed in frustration. And it had been going so _well_.

"What kind of a father are you?" her voice was dangerously low. He had to stop her before she got momentum.

"He is a stranger to me."

Wrong thing to say. Now she looked like she was going to stab him and the nearest things available were tree branches and chopsticks, both options very blunt and very painful to be pierced with.

"I have no knowledge as to how to act around him. This Inutaisho has met him for less than five minutes in his entire life. I realize he is my son, but its ridiculous to think that our relationship would be this instantaneous."

"That's foolish," Kagome spat. "You didn't know me at all and we conversed throughout the entire night! You should have been spending that time with him, not me! Your son is more important than I am!"

The look in Inutaisho's eyes told her differently, told her of a want and a longing that could not be filled by a son.

Inutaisho saw elation then sadness cross her eyes. She sighed and looked away from him.

"There is nothing more important than family, Inutaisho-sama."

He smelled her tears. Yet, even as she was crying, he had to admire the picture she made. If he had been alive, he would have noticed that, as she got older, Kagome began to look a bit more like Kikyo. Nothing too drastic, but she had grown taller and her hair was sleeker and it had lost a bit of the wildness it had when she was younger. But she made such a beautiful, forlorn image standing there in the new sun, the light dappled by the leaves and branches above. She kept her face to the side so that a curtain of hair hid her from him.

"I took away the woman he loved, I will not take his father also."

And with those words Kagome walked away.

00

Long-ish...


	6. Chapter 6

My favorite chapter that I've written so far.

I would like to reply to everyone's reviews individually, but honestly, I don't have the time. I do a few every now and then, but this is a general thank you to everyone who reads this story and especially those who give me feedback.

Oh and thanks to Karen(MissMollyCoddle); I smiled when I read your review because it sounded like something I would write to another author.

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Her throat was swollen with unshed tears, but Kagome refused to let them fall. She had been foolish to put so much stock into Inuyasha's father. Foolish to hope, to jump to the conclusion that she had found someone so quickly, under such odd circumstances. But some of the things he said...was it her fault that he knew everything she wanted to hear?

00

_"So you mean to tell this Inutaisho that in the twentieth century to be a leader you must know more about politics than you do about how to handle a sword?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Or about which strategies are best to defeat a larger army?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Or about how to quell an uprising?"_

_"How would you quell the uprising?"_

_"Death, of course."_

_"That's gruesome. But yes. If you tried to randomly kill off the population, you would be taken down from office more than likely."_

_"But what if I am the strongest on the battlefield?"_

_"Unless the battlefield you're fighting on is in the courthouse or among other world leaders or in the boardroom, you don't stand a chance."_

_"Boardroom? Is that like a bedroom?"_

_"N...No! Not at all!"_

_"You are embarassed."_

_"You think I'm saying you have to be...good in...you know..."_

_"You are alluding to my sexual prowess."_

_"Ung..furk..lurg..."_

_"Pardon?"_

_"Ok...you know what? New subject. And stop smiling like that."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Like an idi...like the cat who caught the canary."_

_"Alright, a new subject."_

_"..."_

_"Why don't we just continue on with the old subject, but with a new focus."_

_"Good idea."_

_"So there is no war in the twentieth century."_

_"What! I didn't say that! Of course there's war!"_

_"Then why do you not need a strong leader?"_

_"In the twentieth century, warfare has evolved from what you're used to. There are weapons that humans have invented that could easily wipe out all life on the planet...including demons if there are any left."_

_"Why then would you need a weak leader?"_

_"Not a weak leader. A leader whose strength lies in diplomacy. A leader who is able to negotiate with other leaders so that warfare won't be an option at all. So that no one is hurt. He does what is right."_

_"You mean to say that this Inutaisho is wrong."_

_"No! Not at all! Its just...this is a different time. You'll see."_

_"I see you would prefer a weakling who talks his way out of problems to one who faces them head on."_

_"That's not what I said!"_

_"Tell me this, Miko Kagome: You are living with your husband and children. It is night and all are asleep. Someone breaks into your home, scaring you and your children. Your husband confronts the man who has invaded your privacy and talks him into leaving. The man does, but every night after that he breaks in again. Your husband tells him to leave every time. Now, do you feel safe knowing that even thought someone threatens you, the man you lie with can talk his way out of it? Or do you think 'I must keep my sword ready, and an ear open every night. I must keep my children close to me, just in case'."_

_"I..."_

_"Truthfully."_

_"The latter."_

_"And if, on the first night, your husband took his sword and killed the tresspasser, hanging his body so that others could see what their fate would be should they choose to cross over your threshold uninvited, would you not feel safe all of the nights that followed?"_

_"...Yes."_

_"A leader should have the political skills to form alliances and compromises, but he must also be able to physically protect those that rely on him."_

_"That's true. That is a truth. But you're taking my words out of context. That's not what I meant."_

_"My point is this: Everyone has something they want to protect. To pursue such an endeavor, one must have the power to do so."_

With these words, Kagome fell in love with him just a bit more. She knew he was subtly hinting to her of his last moments. He had spoken to her of what he remembered the night on the hill. He told her of his words with Sesshomaru and his fight with Takemaru. He spoke of naming his second son only moments before he was crushed under fiery timber and died breathing in burning ash that filled and scorched his lungs faster than his demon healing could catch up with. She remembered listening to him in mute horror, and then he laughed at her expression, saying that it wasn't as bad as it sounded.

She smacked herself mentally. That was over now. With the end of the quest for the Shikon, she had entered into a new one, harder even perhaps than fighting Naraku. The task of bridging the gap between father and son. And here now was the small gain to the loss of the well: At least she wouldn't have to go home every other weekend. She could now fully concentrate on her goal.

The forest she was walking in ended abruptly in a broad field that radiated sunlight. It was so violently bright her eyes watered and she could hardly open them to see where she was going. She was wiping the tears away when she bumped into something that clanked. And was pointy. And was silken. And felt suspiciously how Inutaisho looked.

Kagome was livid.

"You have no right to follow me Inutaisho-sama," she hissed.

"I have no right not to follow you, Kagome-sama," he answered. This puzzled her for a brief moment before she turned away from him. He came after her, of course.

"Inuyasha is a demon. He needs no coddling." She stopped in her tracks.

"Inuyasha has been a demon for about three days, he was a hanyou his entire life."

He looked at her blankly and she sighed wearily, flopping down on boulder half buried in the grassy meadow and resting her chin in one cupped hand.

"You don't have any idea, do you? You don't know about what Inuyasha's life was like after you died." Kagome straightened. "Well here's the run-down. Inuyasha lived with his mother for a while, being scorned and ignored or ridiculed by everyone he met except her. She died and then Sesshomaru threw him out on his own to live in the wild. Time passes and he hears about the Shikon Jewel. He goes to steal it, but falls in love with the priestess and changes his wish from being full demon, to full human. Naraku, who had been taken care of by Kikyo when he was injured and still a man named Onigumo, lets himself be devoured by demons in exchange for power. He disguises himself as Inuyasha, gives Kikyo a fatal wound whence she crawls back to the village just in time to seal your son to a tree. With me so far?"

Inutaisho frowned at her tone and seeming nonchalance, but he nodded.

"Alright, some of this you heard earlier, but for the sake of progression, you'll hear it again. I come into the picture fifty years later as the reincarnation of Kikyo by falling through a well four to five hundred years earlier. I wake Inuyasha up, unseal him from the tree so he can save me from Mistress Centipede, throw a subduing necklace on him when he threatens to kill me, and manage to break the Shikon into tiny shards in a matter of hours. So now we have to work together to collect all the shards and suddenly, Sesshomaru shows up! But this is no family reunion; he tries to find the Tetsusaiga and is convinced Inuyasha knows where it is and almost kills him. We all find your final resting place, I pull the sword out of the rock, Sesshomaru tries to kill me then turns into a giant dog and tries to kill me _and_ your son, Inuyasha ends up transforming the blade and whacks off his brother's arm. From then on we periodically encounter Sesshomaru, who is still trying to kill us and get the Tetsusaiga because he's unsatisfied with the Tenseiga. But I suppose that came in handy when he saved that little girl."

Kagome paused for a breath.

"The little girl? A human?" Inutaisho asked.

"Yes, she's traveled with him for a while now."

A small smile formed on his lips. "So he knows now. She was with him when Takemaru was defeated?"

There was another stretch of silence before Kagome realized that he was asking her a question.

"Yes. I was there too."

"I remember now. They made me proud that day."

"Good, you should go ask Inuyasha how the battle actually went."

Any human would have looked at her with either an expression of confusion or one of anger and asked her what she meant. Inutaisho, instead, cocked his head.

"You wish me to spend more time with him. You want us to have a human father and son relationship."

She could have been abashed at his words, because that was what she had been thinking, but a little lie wouldn't hurt.

"No, I think you should help him assimilate into demonic culture. He doesn't have the faintest clue and it would be a tarnish on your honor for him to act like he was still a hanyou."

He snorted, a sort of repressed laughter, and she folded her arms and looked away.

"That is why you are here," she said softly. "For him."

He became serious then, and took a step toward her. His hand twitched like it wanted to reach out to the dark-haired girl, but it stayed by his side. She didn't see it though; she was still turned away from him.

"Kagome." She turned to look up at him. "Do you truly think that is really why I am living now?"

Even the animals had stopped their chirping and scuffling to hear what she had to say to that. She stood up.

"Why else would you be here?"

And then he was left with her retreating back. This time he did not follow.

00

I'm in a very 'conversation only' writing mode. Did I mention this is my favorite chapter so far?


	7. Chapter 7

Umm, no idea how I got this out...I was stuck for-ev-er.

And its long too: waay over 3 Gs.

Bitch, as it is used by Inutaisho (and any other dog demons) is simply another term for woman, no derogation implied. (Is that a word?)

00

Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Shippo sat around the remains of that morning's fire. There were dishes still needing to be cleaned and sleeping bags to be rolled up and packed away, but no one moved. There was no hurry now. They didn't need to be off searching for more shards. They didn't need to be ready to chase after Naraku or any of his minions. They didn't have an irritated hanyou whining about the slowness of the human race. So instead, they enjoyed the quiet.

One could only guess where the two dog demons were.

But soon the silence became too heavy. All were waiting for someone to break the stillness.

Kagome decided to be that person and she cleared her throat.

"Well..." they turned to look at her with serious faces. So she put on a brisk and nonchalant air.

"Now that this day has come, I don't know what to do with myself. We never really talked about it." Her human counterparts nodded in agreement, or something. Neither had the stomach for theatrics just yet. They had avoided this discussion for a long time. She paused, thinking and making herself more serious, before continuing." Before the whole thing with Kikyo and the well, I thought somehow me and Inuyasha would end up together. After, I thought that I could go back home and maybe go back to school, get a job teaching a new version of the Sengoku Jidai."

That put a smile on all of their faces.

"But now, where do I go? What do I do? Will staying here effect the future? I certainly can't go around changing history. I'm going to have to live out the rest of my life in a tiny, unknown town so I don't get in the way."

She wasn't bitter, just a bit ironic. Miroku ever the diplomat, offered a solution.

"You can come back to Kaede's village. They'll need a new miko or monk when she passes and I'll have my hands full with the children Sango gives me." There was a pause as Kagome and Shippou waited for the taijiya to pummel the houshi, but she merely blushed and looked away. Mouths dropped to the ground.

"You...she...yes?"

"That's right! After all of my hard work, wearing the beautiful Sango down all these years, she has finally relented! Tonight, or perhaps we should begin soon as we will need much time, I shall show..." His exclamatory monologue was cut off by only a slight bonk on the head from Hiraikotsu.

"Finish that sentance and die, monk."

Relieved to see that Sango would not let the married...er, engaged life slow her down, Kagome seriously thought about the lodging proposal. And then she had a revelation.

"Where's Kohaku?" she blurted out, noticing the shocked faces of all surrounding her. Ok, a bit belated, but they shouldn't stare at her like she was crazy; alot had happened! Sango's countenance clouded over with a bit of sadness tempered by relief as she started to explain.

"He...all the horrible things he had to do under Naraku's control shattered his mind." She was quiet for a moment. "I think he would have killed himself were it not for Rin and Sesshomaru."

_Sesshomaru?_ Kagome thought. Shippou's face echoed her thoughts. I mean sure, he joined their efforts to defeat Naraku but that was based more on him getting revenge for the kidnapping of Rin...or so Kagome figured. Actually helping someone without personal gain still sounded far-fetched.

"He said something to Kohaku about repaying his debts in a way more honorable than suicide and then he told him he was Rin's caretaker from then on."

"But wouldn't Sesshomaru be better able to protect her? No offense, Sango."

"None taken; I thought the same thing. But Rin apparently took a liking to him when he kidnapped her and in the time with Naraku he had become faster than a normal human...faster as in dodging Sesshomaru himself." She looked to Miroku.

"We think it was a side effect from being so long in a demonic aura, attached to Naraku," he elaborated.

"But...well, what about you?" At Kagome's hesitant question the youkai slayer straightened her spine.

"As long as he is alive, free, and happy, I can accept whatever he chooses. Besides, maybe with her he'll be able to finish the little bit of childhood he had left."

She gave Kagome a soft smile, which the miko returned.

"Then I also accept," Kagome declared. "What about you Shippou? Are you going to go back to your home? After defeating Naraku I'm sure no demon brothers will want to mess with you ever again."

She asked, even though she was ninety-eight percent sure of what he was going to say.

"Nope! I'm going with you Kagome!" She grabbed him and gave him a hug. At least Shippou was always consistent. It surprised her that she hadn't noticed Kohaku's absence; she had been fixated on Inutaisho instead. But a part of her rationalized that it wasn't as if she was used to Kohaku being present in the first place. It wouldn't matter now; she wouldn't be seeing much of Inuyasha's father, if at all. Her mind tried to rationalize that everything between them, her and Inutaisho, had ended. It needed to end.

Without the well, and without the distraction of chasing after Inuyasha's affections, Kagome had the chance to really reflect on what living in the past really meant. If the well was a cosmic accident, then her being in the past was a bad thing. She could change the future just by being alive. She could change the outcome of WWII by killing a butterfly. Hell, she could start World War III by killing a butterfly! That really wasn't a proven scenario, as she herself was the only 'documented' time-traveler, but from what she had read about those grandfather/chaos theory things, Kagome thought it a reasonable fear.

On the other hand, perhaps the reason she was let through the well at all was so that time and the future could go according to plan. That made her feel a bit better, but inevitably, she would wonder whether the well was only supposed to let her through for a certain amount of time before she had to go back, which would lead to the question of whether Fate _meant _ for Kikyo to destroy the well, which would leave Kagome so fed up that she decided she was putting too much stock into the value and importance of her own life. But that only lasted for a little bit until the cycle began again.

In the end, with all of these 'revelations', she decided that no matter which way Fate was working, Kagome herself should try to distance her life from any new entity so as not to disrupt the balance if she was supposed to leave after the Shikon Jewel was completed. And this meant staying away from Inutaisho.

00

Inutaisho watched as she walked away from him once again. He didn't try to follow this time; anger he could deal with, but sadness was a different matter. He laid down on the small hill and watched the stars, as he had done the night before with the miko. Not three days ago he had been dead still. Not three months ago he had still been in Hell.

Hell was boring. Inutaisho had heard of other religions that claimed Hell was a fiery inferno of pain, but in reality it was nothing. Nothingness. A blank, only somewhat fiery-colored void where all you could do was think about your past life. It was to make you repent before you had to face punishment, but Inutaisho had yet to believe that anything he had done while alive was without justification. He had been there years and years, losing track of how long exactly until Sou'unga was unsealed and used Takemaru's soul and body to extract revenge on his sons and open Hell. Inutaisho was allowed a brief moment to speak with them before being sucked back down. It was all very dream-like, and he remembered parts of it only when someone reminded him, like Kagome had of Rin.

It was only a few years later that Benzaiten sent for him. He was actually allowed in her presence, though unable to look at her face due to the ridiculously bright light that surrounded her. Midoriko stood with her; a face he recognized from when they both had been alive. She gave him a slight smile and began to explain the situation they were currently facing. She told him of the wish made on the Jewel and how she was released from her prison. Midoriko recounted how she immediately sought out the Goddess of Happiness. She told him of a girl that traveled with his younger son and how special her soul was. She told him that Kagome's only wish was to find that one person and raise a family with them and then Midoriko asked if he could help them.

Inutaisho was puzzled. He didn't understand how or what he could do to ensure 'this Miko's' chance at finding a good mate. Benzaiten smiled down at him; he still couldn't look at her, but he felt the gesture rather than saw it. In a moment he saw what Kagome's life was like in the Sengoku Jidai, knew how she felt, lived things through her. And then he knew why he was chosen.

Fate obviously had poor timing. She sent Kagome back in time, and yet, not back far enough. It brought her too a place so that no mortal human would ever be enough, know enough to be able to appreciate all the things she had been through. Yes, Fate relieved her from a world that only darkened her spirit, but the companions it gave her to choose from didn't suit her at all. Inutaisho saw that Sesshomaru was too cold, Inuyasha too stubborn, Kouga too flightly, Miroku too flirtatious. Shippou was too young, Jaken too old, Naraku too evil, Kohaku too kind. Any human she would meet would be worse than the ones from her own time.

But he, Inutaisho, could give her what she needed. Yet could he..._love_..her? He wanted to love her; she was brave and foolish and did things without thinking. She talked back and spoke her mind and cried at the slightest injustice. She was bossy to the point of occasional annoyance but she was also very self conscious. She hated killing and treated all life as precious...unless she was hungry. She was an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in question. But she deserved to be happy.

It is a strange thing, to know someone's soul as intimately as a lover and then meet the owner of the soul for the first time. Had Inutaisho been a lesser being, he might have been afraid of failure, of not being able to fall in love, of being in love with someone that you knew was right for you, yet could not make that person see such a truth. But failure was rarely a word he used in reference to himself and as such Inutaisho planned only on succeeding in the end, no matter what.

00

_"Umm, if you don't mind me asking, how did you meet Inuyasha's mother?"_

_"Izayoi?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"You have known her?"_

_"Oh...er...no. Not really. Its a long story. But no."_

_"Izayoi ran away from home to protest an arranged marriage. She happened to end up on my lands where I was patrolling."_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"...And!"_

_"And that is how we met."_

_"That's not telling me!"_

_"...Yes, it is..."_

_"That's like me saying 'I met Inuyasha when I saw him pinned to a tree'."_

_"I thought that _was_ how you met my youngest son."_

_"It is, but...! But then you wouldn't know that I got pulled down a well and travelled hundreds of years back in time and that I was his former love's reincarnation and that I had the Shikon Jewel in me and he woke up when I was fighting Mistress Centipede..."_

_"You want more details."_

_"...Um yeah...in a nutshell."_

_"I suppose then, I will have to start when I married Sesshomaru's mother. It was an arranged marriage, a good one. I cared for her as a proper mate should and protected her from my enemies. She was an adult youkai though, and had made her own foes long before we came together. She was ambushed while I was away and I didn't reach her in time to be of any help. She died soon after I arrived."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"It was an honorable death. It is not something one should apologize for. She gave me a strong heir and that was her purpose. My feelings for her did not extend beyond that of respect."_

_"You didn't love her!"_

_"Kagome-san, it was an arranged marriage. Very few turn out like the fairy tales you seem to both like and live in."_

_"You're right. Its just...well you know that where I come from, _when_ I come from rather, people seldom marry for any other reason but love."_

_"I remember. It is only natural that you would react that way and my words were not meant to hurt you."_

_"Oh they didn't. It kinda felt like you were scolding me though. Like a light verbal spankeeyeahnevermind."_

_"..."_

_"Uh, continue. Please."_

_"It was around thirty years later that I met Izayoi. She was a princess of a nearby province about to be married off to an older man. She was of the same mind as you: to marry for love, or at least for lust, I suppose. Young women usually do not find old-looking males attractive, or at least that is what she told me._

_"But, technically _you're_ old."_

_"I am four hundred and eighty six years young and I believe I said 'old-looking'._

_"I was just kidding!"_

_"To continue, she was running away until the old human died and then she would return with the story she was captured by a group of female bandits who thought they could sell her for profit. She chose female bandits so that her chastity would not come into question when she asked to be welcomed back."_

_"Why would she even go back, if that was how they were willing to treat her?"_

_"Because Izayoi was a princess, and she also liked being treated like a princess."_

_"Ahh. She liked the perks."_

_"Hn. But as I said, she ran into my forest and caused problems with an usagi demon family. She had many ofudas and sutras that would mortally harm many of them, but also wards to keep them away from her. They sent a representative to me, brought it to my attention and asked for assistance. So I did. I expected just to show up and scare her off; most humans won't confront humanoid demons as they are too powerful. Rather she became very upset, as in angry, throwing rocks and shoes and pottery at me._

_"Needless to say you were surprised."_

_"More so when she stopped and burst into tears. But when I asked why a weak woman would be out in the forest by herself she became enraged once more and came at me. The more I thought about it, in years past, the more I believe she didn't care whether she lived or died that night."_

_"That's horrible!"_

_"Even worse that she couldn't commit seppuku properly and honorably, instead trying to goad a demon into killing her."_

_"...Yeah, that too..."_

_"But she calmed down after a while, first asking me how I got through the wards and then telling me her own problems. That led into her speaking, commenting on some of the most random things: her kimono, my swords, the weather, etc. I realized that she had begun to blush and flirt with me. And that made me remember how boring it is to be alone and how it was much better in the company of a beautiful woman. It was easy to charm her into mating with me that night and I took her back to my home."_

_"But she was human."_

_"And many were angry with me for taking a ningen as my second bitch. But I have lived long enough to know that when you meet someone interesting it is uncouth to kill them because they are of a different race or ignore them because your subordinates belive in the former._

_"When did she go back? I know she must have, or been captured because that's where you...yeah."_

_"The old man died a few months later and Izayoi expressed both a desire to let her family know she was safe and also the desire to remain with me for the rest of her days. By then she was pregnant with Inuyasha and I forbade it. She respected my wishes at the time, but when I went to confront Ryuukotsusei about some rumors of his treachery she snuck out and her house imprisoned her when they realized her pup was hanyou. My fight with Ryuukotsusei lasted many days and by the time I heard, which was right after I sealed him, she was due to have Inuyasha. And you know the rest."_

_"Did you love her?"_

_"Izayoi reminded me how alone I was, she wasn't afraid of me, and she was a good companion. I know that, in time, she came to love me, deeply, in fact. I felt responsible for her as I did with Sesshomaru's mother but there was something more...an...enjoyment that I don't remember having with my first mate."_

00

Kagome relaxed in the hot spring. It was very small, and had an uncomfortable selection of stones to sit on, but it was hot and felt so lovely on a cool night like this one.

She replayed the conversation about Izayoi over in her head. She couldn't belive she had almost said 'spanking' in front of Inutaisho. And when he was silent she sent up a few thousand prayers pleading, 'Kill me now!' to any and every deity that was fortunate (or unfortunate) to witness her verbal diarrhea.

Kagome shifted her weight and winced for the tenth time as a particularly pointy rock found a particularly sensitive, squishy area to poke on her body. Now it was ridiculous. She grabbed her towel and scrubbed herself dry quickly, teeth chattering as she hopped around on one foot, trying to get her clothes on. Panties and pajama pants on she stepped to her right to retrieve her bra and yelled as she stepped on another pointy rock (courtesy of the death spring). Two second later Inutaisho was in front of her with his hand on his sword hilt.

"Where is it?"

Kagome then shrieked and flung her arm across her chest to cover her upper body nudity, flinging the bra at the intruding dog demon and whaping him in the face. He picked the offending (but not offen_sive_, hehe) instrument from its resting place on his shoulder and examined it with interest in the form of a quirked eyebrow.

"Hentai! Sit!"

Inuyasha, who was running full speed to see why Kagome was screaming, did a beautiful sliding faceplant into the loamy forest floor. Inutaisho turned to the miko and held up the scrap of lace and cotton.

"What is this weapon?"

00

:) That whole last scene with Inutaisho just popped out of my fingers and onto the keyboard. When I wrote Kagome into the hot spring I was thinking 'No obligatory hot spring meeting nudity no obligatory hot spring meeting nudity too cliche too cliche'. And then it happened. But hey, he's got to find out what a bra is one of these days anyway. I mean, do you think Kagome would let him just rip them to pieces when he couldn't figure out how to get them off? I would never leave a poor girl standed in the Sengoku Jidai without lots of...support. Lol.


	8. Chapter 8

**READ:** I've had this chapter done since early March. Now, you are probably asking 'Well why the hell didn't you post it?' That, my dear readers is because my fic was plagiarized and I refused to post another chapter that she could butcher until it was resolved. 'Her' story was posted under oriaglorial as 'Cherry Blossoms' who had (after receiving numerous PMs from myself) changed her name three times before she realized I was not going to go away. Her ID number is 1204428, so if she decides to resume her plagiarizing ways please let me know. Thanks you to Tsukiko786 for informing me. If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know.

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"It restrains your…chest?"

Kagome nodded, too embarassed to speak. Inuyasha had obviously inherited his blunt manner from his sire. She couldn't even look at the elder dog demon and instead concentrated on the fire burning in front of her, missing the confused look on his face.

Sango, however, had not.

"The bra doesn't 'restrain' a woman's chest so much as it…displays…it." She too was red in the face, but endeavored, stopping only to bonk Miroku on the head with Hiraikotsu when his eyes glazed over at the implications of this "bra". Sango, being the only female of the group and thus the only one with the proper clearance to ask Kagome about the strange article of clothing she wore under her top, attemted to explain more precisely.

Someone had to end this fiasco.

"The bra cups the chest in such a way to make it more prominent and full with a deeper valley in between."

Inutaisho didn't blush, but a rush of air left his body very abruptly.

"I see," he said. And there was no more conversation for a very long while.

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The first stars were beginning to dot the approaching night, brilliant in a violet and orange sky. Kagome was making dinner when Shippou made the mistake of asking Inuyasha if he was going to stay with the rest of them at Kaede's village.

"Of course not, runt," he snorted. "We're going back to the Western Lands."

At this he inclined his head toward Kagome, indicating the other part of 'we', and then concentrating on his rice so as to have a reason toavoid the look of approval in his father's eyes. He didn't want to embarrass himself as there may have been a blush tinting his cheeks ever so slightly.

"But…but Kagome's coming with me…er…us!" the kitsune argued, shocked. Inuyasha'a head jerked up.

"Why would she do that? You're staying with me, right Kagome?" He turned his amber eyes to her face and Kagome could see the confusion in them of someone who has made the wrong assumption.

"I think it would be best for me to stay in the village, Inuyasha." She avoided looking at Inutaisho by concentrating solely on his son. "With Kaede's help there's a chance the well could be fixed. She'd be a lot more knowledgeable on the subject than I am."

It was a lie and everyone knew it. The well was more unpredictable than Naraku had been and there was little chance of it being fixed after being blown to smithereens. Even the usually dense Inuyasha realized this and his eyes turned hard and accusing. Unfortunately, he got the reasoning behind why Kagome was choosing to stay in the village of his sealing all wrong.

"What happened to sticking together?!" he yelled in a voice so loud everyone winced. "Now that we're done with Naraku you guys have no reason to stay with the hanyou, right?!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began, but Shippou piped up first.

"Actually, you're not a hanyou anymore."

Kagome's face fell into her hands. An 'osuwari' would come in useful right about now to gain the upper hand but the argument was too serious for something like that.So serious that they had never talked about future plans, perhaps because their futures had been uncertain.

Besides, what right did she have to use that word on him now? To protect Shippou was one thing, but its use as a playful scolding had long since vanished.

"It's not that Inuyasha and you know it. Its just…there's this theory…" Everyone seemed hellbent on not allowing her to finish a sentence today as Inuyasha decided it was his turn to interrupt.

"Who cares about a theory? What about…I thought…"

Kagome's throat closed up at the unfinished question: '_What about me?'_

"…I thought we would…you know…stay together or something. All of us." His voice dropped lower and lower as the fight left him and was replaced by something akin to despair. Inutaisho and Sesshomaru were all well and good but these people--Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou—they were his family.

Inutaisho watched silently, knowing that this was a crux upon which a life change was about to occur. He should not, could not participate, but only hope that this argument went in his favor.

If not, wooing Kagome would take a lot longer than he had anticipated.

00

Inutaisho knew how in a battle one second, one move could change your life forever. He was a taiyoukai after all. He wasn't stupid.

It was a small step to apply that rule to regular life…or death in this case.

…Second life?

What did it matter now? They were just words and unable to explain what happened when a god interferes in the world of mortals. And so, when Inutaisho stepped upon the threshold of godhood and allowed hisself to be a tool of Benzaiten, it took less than a second for his whole perspective to change.

00

"Why don't you stay with us, Inuyasha?" Sango's voice was clam and placating. "I will need Kagome's help when I have children and the village will need her when Kaede passes on. It makes more sense."

"It would be wrong to ask Inuyasha to choose between his father and his friends," Miroku said quietly anf then turned his eyes to Kagome, as if she had the answer.

00

_When Inuyasha came to tell Kagome of his decision to be with Kikyo, Kagome was already sitting atop the well._

_'Inuyasha,' she said in her mind. 'I always want to be with you.'_

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When did that stop being the truth?

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_'I always…'_

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She was his friend now, and satisfied with that, so why was there this overwhelming sadness welling up inside her as she acknowledged that fact?

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_'…want to be…'_

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It didn't matter. She had finished her quest. She didn't matter. He did. What he wanted mattered now.

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_'…with you.'_

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"Inuyasha…"

"It would be dangerous for you to stay with them now, Inuaysha." Inutaisho was the cause of this interruption of Kagome.

"Why is that?" Sango asked, curious.

"Inuyasha is no able to transform into his true form, that of a greater dog demon, but he has yet to master that ability."

Inuyasha began to protest, but was silences by his father's next words.

"If you were to transform now it would be as when you were a hanyou and your demonic blood took over. You have not had any practice at keeping your rational mind in control and with your body in that state you would be a mindless destructive force with no discretion as to friend or foe."

Inutaisho had many other reasons to add to the list of why Inuyasha should not stay with his friends currently, but the sudden heaviness in the air at his last statement left him without the need to elaborate. Each was remembering the times when the Tetsusaiga was taken from Inuyasha some way or another and the ensuing chaos and bloodshed. Even Inuyasha himself looked pensive. After a moment of silence though, Kagome spoke.

"But…he will be able to control it eventually, right?" Her voice was timid, scarce. "He'll be able to come back around us soon?"

Inuyasha's eyes were shadowed by his bangs and the other shard hunters were tense with nerves awaiting the elder dog demon's reply. Inuyasha may have been a handful at times but life without him around seemed…odd.

"Of course." Visible relaxation occurred. "I will warn you it may take a while though. Sesshomaru worked for nearly a year before he gained total control and even then it was a few years before he could fight and maintain control. But there's no reason you can't come visit Inuyasha when he isn't training."

Kagome began to protest about leaving the village and changing time but a simple "and vice versa" from Inutaisho calmed her down.

The peace only lasted seconds.

"Or you could stay with us."

Inuyasha's ears perked up and Kagome's spirit fell as a voice in her head yelled 'Round 2!' She could make out Inuyasha and Shippou yelling, arguing at each other but their words were just a dull roar in her ears.

"We should have discussed this before. We shouldn't have waited until after Naraku was finished." Sango watched her best friend put her head in her hands and nod.

"I'm going for a walk," Kagome announced abruptly and stood up. As she walked out of the clearing Inutaisho rose as well, addressing the group.

"It is my fault for restarting the argument. I will speak to her."

As he started to walk toward the direction Kagome left, Shippou spoke up, sounding mutinous.

"Kagome doesn't even know you! None of us do! Who gave you the right to decide what's best for her?" Inutaisho could see that the entire group was in agreement with the runt. He decided a bit of truth would send his lie a long way.

"Because though it isn't my place, all of you are thinking of yourselves and not of what she wants or needs; I am going to apologize on behalf of the rest of you."

00

"You have a bad habit of following people when they want to be left alone," the time traveling priestess said sullenly.

"Just you it seems, or perhaps it is you who has a bad habit of running away."

His answer was a short, humorless laugh as she hopped down from the large rock she had previously been perched on. Kagome went to walk past him, intent on finding a new place of solitude, but Inutaisho grabbed her wrist and pulled her to face him. She sighed, trying to keep her composure.

"I can't stay with you or with Inuyasha or at your home. If I do I might change the outcome of the future. At Kaede's village I'm safe from that, it seems."

"But what if you are wrong?" He lowered his head so that their faces were inches apart, not to kiss her, but to persuade her as though the closeness would help make her decide in his favor, make her see what he saw. She leaned into him as well, seeking comfort and strength, until a noise in the night startled her out of the hypnosis. She tugged at her captive arm and he released her.

"I…I just _can't_," she said, her tone pleading, and turned away.

Her tears were drops of glass in the corners of her eyes.

00

Thanks guys, for all of your support.


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